The Apple Entrepreneur Camp for black founders and developers was created in recognition of never-ending societal inequalities. It aimed to boost the aspirations of black tech founders and developers from underrepresented communities around the world, and to “support these founders and their organizations as they build the next generation of cutting-edge apps and form a global network that encourages the pipeline and longevity of underrepresented founders and developers in telecommunications.”
One Dayo Akinrinade, a UK-born Nigerian, who is a beneficiary of the Apple Entrepreneur camp, shares her experience as a tech entrepreneur and a black woman in the UK. Once, she showed up at a tech company headquarters and “was mistaken as the janitor.” Most others shared the same experience with her, being mistaken as the valet when they checked in at a tech company headquarters.
Since society has refused to accept that Blacks and women can be innovative and should be supported to achieve their goals, Apple recognizes the mental and physical endurance these people go through to beat a common societal stereotype.
For instance, in the UK, as Akinrinade notes, only 0.24% of venture funding is for black founders. And in both America and Great Britain, a Black African household’s median wealth is reported to be at £34,00 while that of the white British family is at £314,000. And in this condition, Black founders from low-income homes must never forget their homes and send financial support.
Apple has acknowledged these conditions, even noting that ‘founders from underrepresented communities face unique challenges, especially when starting and leading technology companies, and in their attempt to promote the black tech founders, came out with the Apple Entrepreneur Camp for Black founders and developers, which also includes women and Hispanics/Latinx, and guess what? It is free. Apple describes it as ‘an intensive, hands-on technology lab where you’ll work one-on-one with Apple experts and engineers to accelerate your app significantly.
It is roughly a one-week camp where one gets to ‘attend lectures to learn the intricacies of Apple’s approach to app development, meet and get inspired by its executives, and work with one of the company’s top engineers, who provides personalized advice on your strategy and roadmap.’
To be accepted to this camp, you don’t need to be at the top of tech development, or even a CEO, as you can join being a co-founder or assistant. However, it is strictly for those who have knowledge of tech development and have founded and developed an app or are part of a team that aims to serve humanity and make life easier.
What Do You Stand to Benefit from Apple Entrepreneur Camp?
As a Black, Hispanic, or woman who has struggled from an underrepresented community to complete your vision and build an app to help change the world, you have almost achieved your dreams. Your app has reached global recognition and thousand, maybe millions of downloads. But here is an opportunity to boost your market by including some necessary spices you might have yet to think of in your app. This is a chance to learn new tips to help improve your app.
- Relearn App development the apple way:
No one would beg any app developer, be he an expert or amateur, to take a chance on an opportunity to learn directly from one of the world’s best and most prominent tech developers. You are a developer, and you know how to run the tech, but here is Apple, whom you cannot yet beat, allowing you to be like them. To make your app and tech company world-class.
- A one-on-one tutelage with Apple’s expert engineers
Learning face-to-face from Apple’s high-tech engineers is another opportunity too ample for its price (Free). These are engineers with a lot of experience, knowledge, and ideas. They are the insiders of the Apple tech world, and what more will they offer? Knowledge no one has except them. Their traditional ways of expertise in tech development.
- Learn not just to build an app but a company.
What in the world can beat Apple today in tech development? From its apps to the company itself. You may have already developed your app, which has existed for several years and is doing fine and meeting the required audience. But then, as an entrepreneur, you will always need to expand your business and create more employment opportunities; you cannot stop where you are, or the world might leave you behind. In this camp, you can learn how to start a company from an app, solve more problems, and put more money in your pocket.
- Access to the Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni network
There is a network of Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni. Past camp participants, both Blacks and women from the same underrepresented communities as you, will share their stories and the changes they experienced due to their participation.
You must agree to the Apple Entrepreneur Camp Application and Attendance Policy to apply for Apple Entrepreneur Camp.
Who is Eligible?
Apple Developers says that developers from all over the world can send in an application, and up to three people from your organization can go. To be eligible to apply:
- Your organization must have the following:
- A Black founder, cofounder, or CEO;
- A Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, or female* developer proficient in Swift or Objective-C; and
- An existing app on the App Store, a functional beta build in TestFlight, or the equivalent.
- The Black founder, cofounder, or CEO; the Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, or female developer; and another colleague (if applicable) must each be 18 years of age or older, proficient in English, and able to attend together for the entire duration of the lab.
What is Required?
- Details about your organization and contact information of your three colleagues attending the Camp with you if your application is selected.
- Provide details of your app and your development team. You may also include a link to your app download.
- Describe what you wish to gain from participating in the Apple Entrepreneur Camp.
- Select application dates.
Also,
Applications will be reviewed based on the following:
- How you respond to the questions on the application form,
- How you’re committed to developing Apple platforms and using their latest technologies. And,
- If your app is unique or innovative.
According to Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, “It’s an honor to support these founders and developers on their journeys as they build amazing apps that connect, inform, and inspire us.”